Should you always credit the artist?

I believe it is a wonderful & thoughtful courtesy but I would not necessarily expect it. It's wonderful seeing very skilled & accomplished people getting the credit they deserve. It's also true that if astists are skilled then the community will recognize talent -regardless of whether you tag it or not- and ask who is responsible for the execution.

Because of the sheer number people people who alter their own dolls or request specialized custom work I don't assume that an owner is responsible unless they specify.

I do think that the *vision* usually originates from the owner and manifests through the hands of skilled artists- whether it be the owner themselves or someone that they communicate their vision to. Perhaps customized dolls are the result of a wonderful creative synergy that results from collaboration: a visionary and a designer working together to achieve the desired result.

 

I have mixed feelings on this, being an artist myself. I find it tedious to list everyone who had any part in the creation of my doll's looks, but at the same time if I sold my clothing and pictures posted of it without giving credit to my work I might feel a little miffed. ^_^; In my DeviantArt gallery each doll is credited with where their current faceup/wig/eyes are from and any clothes not made be my are credited as such. I'd do the same here if there were a place to do so.

Personally when I post photos for requests (which is all I've done on DoA) I credit the specific item being requested but nothing else. I think it's important to keep track of those things, however, in case someone asks you.

 

interesting topic! I personally try to give credit to work whether it's my own or someone elses. I think of it as information sharing as often I get asked questions when I post photos.

 

I don't assume that that owner did all the work and i don't think it's an obligation to give credit.
it's a very nice gesture if credit is given. after all, it's free advertising for the artist, but they should not expect it if they've been paid for their work.

 

I would put credits in database or profiles, and even on the first post or two, but after that I may or may not because it does get tiresome to add that every single time, but would gladly answer questions of the origins of said items or artistry. If the photo I pictured was done with a lot of work instead of a random general photo or if it's in an actual "gallery", I would most likely start posting out credits with it then.

 

If it's done by an artist I paid to create, then I give note. If I've purchased from a product line than I don't.

 

YES PLEASE CREDIT PEOPLE!
It helps a lot if someone's looking for something.
For instance, someone looking for a wig or something could find the one that they really like in a photostory, and then find the credit, and then be able to get their "dream wig"! Or whatever.

it helps a lot X3

 

I credit as much as possible... I know it can get to be a long list when it's a faceup, wig, eyes, mods, clothes, jewelry... etc... So what I do is credit the main stuff you can see and answer anyone who asks about any other part... (I don't need to tell you my dollies panties came from Dollmore if you can't see them in the picture... etc...)

 

I would do it. What does it hurt to give credit to the person who sculpted the doll?

I also am doing some of my own art/photography with 2 of my dolls and the artist who made the mold will be credited. I think the issue is not that you use a doll in your art. People take offense when someone falsely implies that the face/doll sprang from their imagination. OR if someone uses the doll art (customizations) of other craftsmen (photos etc...) and claims it all for themselves.

Mijn is a special case. I don't care if she is breaking the law or not. The point is that people feel robbed and she knows very well that what she is doing is wrong. When she was challenged on her inspiration she should have said the truth. Also, she should not have taken the creative work of doll customizers and tried to pass it off as her own.

 

It's true for art, it's true for faceups. They're just another form of art after all.

 

I do not expect it, nor do I thinkit necessary to always credit the artist, if someone MUST know who did something (faceup, clotes etc) on your doll they can always PM you and ask. That said I do like it when people do this, I think it is a great courteousy and makes our lives easier when we can see what is done and by whom.

There is one instance I will relate however when I think credit could be an issue.

A while ago I traded a doll, I sent her to the new owner with a beautiful faceup I had done myself, she was graceful, elegant, full body blush, a LOT of work had gone into her. A short while ago I saw this same doll up for trade in the MP. I was sad to see the beautiful faceup had been damaged, all of the blush was removed, at some point the eyeshadow had been changed and then messily wiped, with a bad repair job, and the only things in tact were the lower lashes, the eyebrows and the lips. I could hardly believe it was the same doll. This did not bother me so much, though, what really bothered me was the seller stating that "the faceup was done by the last owner and is really not very good" If it was my work, and not really good I would not care but when someone messes up my work then blames me I get mad, really mad. I mentioned this on another forum, thinking my reaction was irrational, and received a resounding chorus of "NO! you are right to be mad!" the reason? This is not a large hobby and dolls are trackable. I know who I got that doll from, I am sure they could easily find out where I sent it to after realising it was not for me, and i KNOW I will see it on the forums again one day, and will know it for the one I had in my care for a time. A LOT of people track dolls. My name and username were not actually credited in the post, but for people who do track things like that well......that really made me look bad, and it was nothing to do with me. Feel free to credit people, but if you DO credit please make note of alterations. Statements such as "faceup by soom, altered by me" are becoming more common, and in this case I would have preferred that courteousy rather than a person alluding to my work, with a vague non credit that discredits me.

 

Well since with my dolls I do all the work, I don't really need to created anybody... though when I do have something done by somebody else I do created them ^w^\ since there's only one person to created at that time... (like the time my friend made my doll a kimono for my birthday, I posted the pic and noted that my friend had made the kimono)
Though that kimono is the only thing that I have of her's that I didn't make myself (well... other then the barbie shirt I had her wearing before I made her a shirt to go with her pants ^^; )

 

Authors would love it if people would READ those lists, though. Sometimes you can spend 20 minutes trying to remember where you bought the shoes or who gave you the belt, but you eventually get it all written down... and the first post says "Wow, where did you get those shoes?"

Sometimes, I take pictures of my friends' dolls, who aren't even mine ('guest stars')... I put the name of the owner in bold print right in the post... but still the first post will say "Oh you're so lucky to own him, he's beautiful". ^^ These aren't people who will notice if I take the extra effort to write down who did his faceup or eyes.

But I do anyway, almost always. I can't help it! It's just a good thing to do. It helps me remember things, of course; and I also hope that it helps SOME people with their shopping.


(I work at a games site, and I know for a fact that nobody on the entire Internet has ever read one single set of Minimum System Requirements.... "This Game Not Supported On Firefox" / "Hey, your game's broken, I can't load it on Firefox!" XD)

 

It's a nice thing to do, and helpful for those that are interested in an item on your doll, for instance, but I don't think it's absolutely necessary. I don't understand people that demand credit for their art. It's annoying when someone claims your work, and it's helpful in getting your name out there, but neither one is really a big deal, imo. I would just be happy to put my art out into the world! ^.^ That's enough satisfaction for me.

 

I think when I created my gallery threads (all two of them, haha...) I did at least credit where I got the clothing in the thread from, but in general, I don't tend to credit.

I think it's courteous, and quite kind when people do credit, but I don't think it's absolutely necessary. I think that if someone sees something they like, such as a clothing article, wig, eyes, faceup, etc, that they like, it takes very little effort to either ask in-thread, or simply send a PM from "Where did you get X?" in order to discover for themselves and go about getting the same thing, or something similar.

 

If you don't see credit to the artists in posts displaying a doll, do you assume that the owner did all the work?

If I don't see any credits to an artist, I do assume they did everything. There are lots of artist people on DoA, so it isn't a rare thing to have people do nice face-ups for themselves and/or for other people. Not everyone sends their dolls off for work (though maybe some should have, but that's my opinion).

Do you think that artists should always be credited?

I think it is ok not to mention it, but for me, I'd feel odd not doing it. If you're doing a shoot to show off their new face, then I do think the artist deserves a mention. I also think, for politeness, one should credit that person, because your awesomely done face might make other people commission them to do their faces, which equal more money. So you helped someone make an honest buck, and use their artistic skills.

 

I always credit, even if it's "not neccesary" to do so every single time. If it's with a face up, it's nice to credit because it helps the artist get their name around as well as more business. If it's with the doll make or wig/clothes etc. It saves people the trouble of asking you, and it saves you the trouble of answering 500 different people (though there will always be those people that dont read the descriptions >.< )

 

I've seen people that credit for everything in every single picture they post...
I don't credit profusely like that, but I try to credit where needed. If it's something that is self done or retail, I don't feel the need to credit unless someone asks about it. But for instance, my floating head with gore mods, I try to credit the artist whenever I post a picture of it. If it's something commissioned I think it's even more important to credit, than with something you just saw and bought from an individual. It's nice to know what wig, eyes, clothes, etc. the doll has, but I personally don't see it necessary to list all of it. If they wanna know badly enough, they can ask and I'll gladly tell them.
Now for doll molds, I do always add that in somewhere. It's crediting the company and making it convenient for viewers.

 

I don't think it's a must but it's polite to do so. It's a nice gesture, you know and also great advertising for a face-up artist. If I did a face up for a doll, I don't think it's right for me to say, hey look, be sure to credit me whenever you post photos of your dolls up in the forum cause that's my work there or feel a bit miffed if they don't. I wouldn't feel that anyone should have to credit me but like I said, it's always nice to do that. Personally, I would definitely give credit to the face-up artist. But actually, whenever I look at doll photos I don't actually think that the owner themselves did all the work on their doll (unless I know they are face-up artists) I always just automatically assume that someone else must have done it. Most who aren't face-up artists who customize their own doll tend to include that bit of information in the post. It's just a pattern I see.

 

I only say which particular sculpt my doll is in a gallery post or something. I think if I got a custom face-up, I'd probably say "With face-up by so-and-so", but I don't go to the detail of saying where I got every last thing that's shown in the picture or anything, although if someone asks, I'm more than happy to tell them. I just feel it's sort-of unneccesary, unless the thread is all about clothes that fit a particular doll or something. (Not saying you shouldn't say where you got things because it is helpful, I just can't be bothered re-typing it all myself. xP Especially since I know that people don't read it a lot of the time)

Also, if someone doesn't say where they got things, I don't assume they made it all themselves. I just assume they didn't want to type it all out.